I'm currently interested in gathering information and knowledge related to advanced "conspiracy theorists" to help with challenging/talking/helping them recover.
To define a severe/entrenched "conspiracy theorist" see the following attributes:
- Has the urge/need to "inform" new people they meet.
- Rejects facts or proof (All of the reading I have read has indicated attempting to reason with someone like this will only push them deeper into their hole)
- Has the inability to think of most other things in life other than the "end of the world" (an addiction)
- Consumes large amounts of information related to the "end of the world" or "conspiracy theories" from other people that have similar thoughts.
- Might start street prophesizing (imagine the guy on the street with a sign that says, "the end is nigh, repent")
Some of the topics that one of these entrenched conspiracy theorists might spout are as follows (NOTE: This is not a fully inclusive list of theories)
- 9/11 conspiracy, Mayan end of the world (EOTW), other general EOTW scenarios.
- Planet Nibiru
- Pope is the Antichrist
- World ending comet
- Three Days of Darkness
- Rapture (Etc)
There's another question that goes into the understanding of a conspiracy theorist, but it does not touch how one might go about helping an individual.
I'm truly trying to get advice/help/resources to help a person that might be afflicted with an entrenched belief in one or many conspiracy theories. While I understand the best way for someone to find their way out of this belief system is to have them come to the conclusion by themselves, I'm looking for advice/help that third parties can perform to assist with the progress.
